Bowling score recording means with multiple pin spot switches connected in parallel



14, 964 R. R. COLTON ETAL 3,117,785

BOWLING SCORE RECORDING MEANS WITH MULTIPLE PIN SPOT SWITCHES CONNECTED IN PARALLEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS 0E017, 16$

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Jan. 14, 1964 v R. R. COLTON ETAL 3,117,785

BOWLING SCORE RECQRDIN EANS WITH MULTIPLE PIN SPOT SWITCHES co c'nco IN PARALLEL Filed July 7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z7 INVENTO III a R@17Z01Z6ZR. (*0? J yrozz Hid JZ9 BY J United States Patent Office 3,117,785 Patented Jan. 14, 1964 BOWLING SCORE RECORDING MEANS WITH MULTIPLE PIN SPOT SWITCHES CONNECTED IN PARALLEL Raymond 12. (Iolton, as W. 68th t., New York 23, N.Y.,

and J. Byron Hicks, 702 Edgewcod Drive SE, Massilion, Ohio, assignors of two-thirds to said Raymond R. Coiton and one-third to said J. Byron Hicks Filed July 7, 1960, Ser. No. 41,295 2 tjlairns. (Cl. 273--52) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic bowling score recording devices, particularly adapted for use in connection with electronic systems of score recording and/ or computing.

Systems for automatically signalling knock-downs of bowling pins by electric recording means hitherto have been proposed. These systems generally involve the installation in the pin deck of the floor of a bowling alley of a series of electric contact switches, one being located at each of the ten pin spots. According to such a system each single switch is intended to operate when the pin placed on the particular pin spot is knocked over, thereby breaking an electric circuit, and causing a light incorporated in the circuit to be extinguished. In accordance with such systems there may be provided a bank of lights respectively positioned according to the triangular pattern of the pins in the bowling alley, each light being connected to the switch in the corresponding pin spot in the alley. By the extinguishing of the respective lights the number and location of the pins knocked down may be indicated throw by throw.

In the operation of these systems various types of switches have been suggested. In some instances these consist of a spring biased contact element which is forced down by the weight of the pin against an underlying fixed element to make the circuit, and conversely to break the circuit when the pin is toppled. Also it has been proposed to aflix a contact plate on or in the base of the pin adapted to complete the circuit when placed on two contact points in the floor of the alley.

These prior arrangements have not proven to be consistently dependable. Frequently even a speck of grit or dirt will raise the bowling pin sufficiently to prevent contact of the switch and completion of the electric circuit. Also the bowling pin if struck a glancing blow may be moved off of dead center but still remain standing there by operating the switch and giving a false signal.

It is an object of the present invention to provide switching means that will be reliable in operation, that will continue to perform satisfactorily even in the presence of a considerable accumuiation of dust or dirt, and that will at all times give positive readings, registering a downed pin only when and if the pin resting on the switch means actually is knocked over.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a switching means that will involve a minimum alteration of the surface of the bowling alley, and further that will introduce no changes whatever in weight and balance of the bowling pins.

A general description:

The present invention is embodied in the provision of an assembly of switches located at each pin spot. These switches moreover are of a type having a very short throw and micro-switches of standard available types are well suited to the purposes of the invention. Preferably the micro-switches are assembled in groups of three, although the number can be varied. Each micro-switch is equipped with an upwardly extending stem which passes through a small diameter hole in the floor of the alley within the area designated as the pin spot. The upper ends of the switch stems project a very short distance above the surface of the alley floor and preferably are symmetrically located at equidistant points on a circle concentric with the center of the pin spot, this circle being slightly smaller than the circumference of the base of a bowling pin. For purposes of illustration it is assumed in the present case that the current will be broken when the pin is depressed, although it will be readily apparent that if desired the direction of the switching operation can be reversed.

The upper tips of the stems are preferably located at a distance from the edge of the area defined by the coverage of the base of the pin by a distance determined by the tolerance of the automatic pin setting machines. In this manner with every setting of the pin all of the stem tips in each group will contact the base of the pin and be thereby depressed. Further the distance by which the stems project above floor level, includes a small clearance zone which is sufficient to avoid malfunctioning in event of the presence of minor irregularities in or on the floor surface and thereby avoid the possibility of the micro-switch being rendered inoperative by the presence of dust or dirt on the surface of the floor. The remainder of the distance by which the stem projects above the surface of the floor constitutes the make and break zone.

Whereas the invention is clearly pointed out in the appended claims, in order that the invention may be fully understood and readily practiced, at specific embodiment thereof is hereinafter described and illustrated.

Specific description:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the pin deck of a bowling alley illustrating diagrammatically the general lay-out of switches and electric circuits;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of one of the pin spots showing the location of the switch stems;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing the position of the switch stems when a bowling pin has been placed on the pin spot;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 3 but showing one possible position of the switch stems after the bowling pin has been shifted from its original position without falling;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIGS. 3 and 4, but showing the position of the switch stems after a bowling pin knockdown.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a plan view of the deck end of a bowling alley marked for setting the ten pins in regular starting order. Each pin spot is provided with openings indicated by reference numerals 2121 which extend completely through the floor of the pin deck 23 (FIGS. 3 to 5). Passing down through openings 21 there are shown stems 25a-25c of long stem microswitches 27a-27c located below the pin deck 23. The openings 21--21 are spaced within the circumference 27 defined by the pin base when on dead center by a distance A determined by the tolerance of the pin setting machine as illustrated in FIG. 2, and further are respectively spaced from each other by a circumferential distance of Each micro-switch is connected into an electric circuit 29Z9 which leads through cables 31-31 to score recording and/ or computing means (not shown).

In FIG. 3 the pin is depicted as being placed on the alley in its initial setting position depressing the stems Ilsa-25c. Assuming that the floor of the alley is completely clean and smooth, all three stems will be depressed by the weight of the pin all the way to floor level. However, if particles 35 of grit or dirt are present the pins may be raised sufliciently to fail to fully depress one or more of the stems.

In FIG. 3 particles 35 prevent the pin 33 from resting flat and level on the pin deck, thereby causing the following condition: stem 25a has been depressed only through part of the distance of the make and break Zone B; consequently switch 27a remains in off position; stem 25b has been pressed down but also not sufhcient to clear zone l3 and also has not been activated; stem 2.50 has been depressed substantially to floor level and accordingly has turned switch 270 to on position. This is only one of various possible situations. In FIG. 3 the dimensions of the particles 35 purposely have been exaggerated for purposes of illustration. Any ordinary speck of dust or dirt usually will be so small as to permit all three switches to be activated by the setting of the pin, as would also be the case if a fine layer of dust were spread evenly over the entire pin spot surface. In view of the foregoing it will be seen that a condition in which all three switches failed to operate by reason of the presence of ordinary amounts of dust or dirt could practically never OCCUI.

The optimum size of the clearance zone C and of the make and break zone B is a matter of adjustment and setting. One method of adjustment would involve merely the raising or lowering of the long stern micro-switches 27a, 27b and 27c. A suitable setting would be at a total projection D of approximately .020 inch, with zones C and B set at approximately .010 inch respectively.

The nature of the arrangement according to the present invention permits the use of small working parts. The openings 21, for example, can be on the order of .076 inch diameter, and the stern diameters .060 inch plus or minus .010 inch, thereby providing a stem clearance space of about .016 inch. The described arrangement of the long stems extending through the narrow passageways 21 avoids transmitting heavy stresses to the switch mechanisms.

In FIG. 4 the effect of dirt or other irregularities in the surface of the pin deck is ignored and a condition is illustrated wherein pin 33 has been jarred slightly off base by a glancing blow from a thrown ball. In this case the upward stroke of stem 25a has opened switch 27a. The circuit however remains closed since the bowling pin still depresses stems 25b and 25c, or either of them. It would be necessary to force the pin entirely off of all three stems, i.e. substantially wholly oil" the entire pin spot before the circuit 29 would be broken. It is extremely unlikely that a pin could be shifted to that extent and still remain standing.

In FIG. 5 a knock down has occurred in which case all three switches have snapped into off position and the circuit 29 has thereby been broken and the event recorded by the electric recording mechanism.

By the employment of switch assemblies as herein described, which aflord consistently reliable results, a critical bar to the possibility of employing electric data processing installations is overcome. The particular electric system adopted is a matter of choice and is not herein claimed. However it is contemplated that means be provided whereby the player could merely place a card in the machine and receive at the end of his game a complete record of his scoring. Or the circuitry could provide simply a bank of lights in the form of a triangle with the lights remaining on for the live pins.

As has been mentioned, the small size of the stems has the advantage of introducing negligible variations in the alley floor. In prior switching arrangements the large size of the inserts, and the use of inserts composed of materials different from the wood of the floor have created the undesirable effect of different wear rates with consequent development of unevenness causing error in the progress of the bowling balls. While it would be overstating the case to assert that in the case of the present invention a false reading could never occur, it is clear that the probability of such occurrence is enormously less than in the case of prior switching devices. Should an error occur it could be corrected by manual means built into the circuitry.

With respect to the installation of score keeping systems, key punching machines could be installed at each alley. The machines could punch the players ticket with each ball thrown. When the game was completed the punched card could be placed in an electronic computer and a typed record of each throw and frame score with the final score indicated on the same card or on a second card. With this system only one electronic compnter would be necessary for all of the alleys with a key punch machine provided for each individual alley.

Recording bowling scores by electronic systems in which on a card the location and the numbers of the pins downed by each throw were permanently recorded would, in addition to obviating the inconveniences of keeping score by hand, give the advantage of a later constructive review by a bowling expert.

Having for purposes of illustration described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, what is claimed is as follows:

1. In a bowling alley having electric scoring means associated therewith for recording bowling scores, and switching means located at respective pin spots on the bowling alley floor for actuating said recording means, said switching means being respectively and independently responsive to positions of the bowling pins on said pin spots, said switching means of at least one of said pin spots comprising a plurality of laterally spaced stems extending downwardly through said pin spot below the surface of said alley floor and to an electric switching means mechanically interconnected with and actuatable by one of said stems, each of said stems being movable in a substantially vertical direction, for a limited distance of throw, the top of each of said stems at its upper limit of throw, extending above said alley surface, and at its lower limit of throw being substantially flush with said alley surface, the point of switch actuation being located intermediate said upper and lower limits of throw, said switches associated with said pin spot being connected in parallel to an electric circuit leading to said scoring means.

2. In a bowling alley having electric scoring means associated therewith for recording bowling scores, and switching means located at respective pin spots on the bowling alley floor for actuating said recording means, said switching means being respectively and independently responsive to positions of the bowling pins on said pin spots, said switching means at a plurality of said pin spots comprising a plurality of laterally spaced stems extending downwardly through said pin spot below the surface of said alley floor and to an electric switching means me-,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 601,626 Brooks Apr. 5, 1898 651,601 Ganter June 12, 1900 2,452,288 Blando Oct. 26, 1948 3,011,785 Torresen Dec. 5, 1961 

1. IN A BOWLING ALLEY HAVING ELECTRIC SCORING MEANS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH FOR RECORDING BOWLING SCORES, AND SWITCHING MEANS LOCATED AT RESPECTIVE PIN SPOTS ON THE BOWLING ALLEY FLOOR FOR ACTUATING SAID RECORDING MEANS, SAID SWITCHING MEANS BEING RESPECTIVELY AND INDEPENDENTLY RESPONSIVE TO POSITIONS OF THE BOWLING PINS ON SAID PIN SPOTS, SAID SWITCHING MEANS OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PIN SPOTS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY SPACED STEMS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID PIN SPOT BELOW THE SURFACE OF SAID ALLEY FLOOR AND TO AN ELECTRIC SWITCHING MEANS MECHANICALLY INTERCONNECTED WITH AND ACTUATABLE BY ONE OF SAID STEMS, EACH OF SAID STEMS BEING MOVABLE IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL DIRECTION, FOR A LIMITED DISTANCE OF THROW, THE TOP OF EACH OF SAID STEMS AT ITS UPPER LIMIT OF THROW, EXTENDING ABOVE SAID ALLEY SURFACE, AND AT ITS LOWER LIMIT OF THROW BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH SAID ALLEY SURFACE, THE POINT OF SWITCH ACTUATION BEING LOCATED INTERMEDIATE SAID UPPER AND LOWER LIMITS OF THROW, SAID SWITCHES ASSOCIATED WITH SAID PIN SPOT BEING CONNECTED IN PARALLEL TO AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT LEADING TO SAID SCORING MEANS. 